Plaça Catalunya, Sagrada Familia & L'Eixample

Literally meaning expansion, the Eixample neighborhood was created in the 1860's as an extension on the city's Ciutat Vella (Old City). Placa Catalunya symbolizes the divide between the old and the new areas of Barcelona and also shows a marked difference in the way the streets are constructed.

The Eixample neighborhood, unlike the intricate, narrow, windy streets of the Old City, are comprised of a wide grid of streets, which today, act as the city's high-end shopping district. As this area is known as the more 'Modern' part of the city it is home to the incredible works of Gaudi and that of his Modernist contemporaries such as Lluis Domenech i Montaner amongst others.

Buildings such as Casa Batllo and La Pedrera provide for the neighborhood's gorgeous decor and if you walk towards the right Eixample, you'll soon come across Gaudi's most famous creation, the Sagrada Familia. Yet to be completed, the Church was Gaudi's last masterpiece which he was working until the day he died. It's set to be finished in 2026.